For Teens & Young Adults 16-25
THE TRUTH:
- Drugs change your brain.
Your brain grows until age 25. Drugs affect memory, focus, and mental health and ultimately relationships and responses.
- One time CAN be dangerous.
There is no testing with substance use. It hooks its victims and gets them addicted to the point of destruction if help is not sought or found.
Fake pills, mixing drugs + alcohol. One decision can lead to hospital or a lifetime of living in mental home or even death.
- Addiction is a health issue.
It’s not weakness. It changes the brain. Recovery is possible with help and willingness of the person involved.
- Legal is not equal to Safe.
Alcohol, cigarettes, substances can destroy health, school, and future even when it is legalized in your country. Caption on cigarettes reads “Smokers are liable to die young” ; “ Smoking Causes Lung Cancer” This applies to all substances e.g marijuana, Canabis etc.
- Most people are NOT using it.
“Everyone does it” is a lie. You have more power than peer pressure. DO NOT SUCCUMB TO IT.
- There are better ways to cope
Stress → Talk, pray, exercise, business, music, friends that build you.
BUST THE LIES
- LIE: “Weed is natural, so it’s safe”
TRUTH: Natural is not equal to Safe. Drug use and abuse can cause anxiety, memory loss, addiction. There are also synthetic models these days, which is deceptive, but can cause deeper damages to the brain.
- LIE: “I can quit anytime”
TRUTH: The longer you use, the harder it is to stop.
- LIE: “Pills from a friend are ok”
TRUTH: If a doctor didn’t prescribe medication for you, you don’t know what’s in it.
- LIE: “Drugs help with stress”
TRUTH: They hide stress now, make it worse later.
- LIE: “If I don’t inject it, it’s fine”
TRUTH: Smoking, drinking, vaping, pills can all cause addiction and ultimately damage the brain, sometimes irrecoverably and death .
YOUR 3 POWER MOVES NOT TO BE TRAPPED
- DECIDE AHEAD: Consciously decide ahead what to say if you are ever offered drug/substance by any one- friend, family, neighbour. Practice saying “I’m good” / “Not for me”.
- EXIT PLAN: If you are already using substance, talk a trusted adult or specialist for counsel. Do not hide. Do not dismiss counsel. Seek help early. There is no benefit in the use of substances. It promises fake relief and relaxation but it rewires and destroys the natural order of the brain.
- GET HELP EARLY: Hospital, Pastor, Trusted Adult.
“Do you not know that your body is a temple?” Treat your body right. Do not damage it with drug abuse. – 1 Corinthians 6:19
YOUR FUTURE IS WORTH PROTECTING. THOSE THAT SELL IT – DRUG DEALERS, DRUG PEDLLARS DO NOT USE DRUG. THEY PROFIT FROM DESTROYING OTHER PEOPLE’S LIFE AND DESTINY. DO NOT ALLOW YOURS TO BE DESTROYED.